Resumes 101, Formats

Employers are getting hundreds of resumes and you have about 15 seconds to make it into the call pile. So a good resume is critical. How you approach gathering and presenting information will help with the finished product. A resume has one purpose, to get you an interview. There are basically 5 different formats you [...]

Illegal Interview Questions

I’m a Job Developer and yesterday I ran into an uncomfortable situation when a prospective employer was asking for my client’s diagnosis. My client has a severe Mental Illness that is still shrouded with so much stigma, I didn’t want to tell him.  I felt that the question was inappropriate if not illegal. So I [...]

Negotiating A Salary

You landed the interview, you have been offered a position, now you must negotiate for your salary package, what to do?
First, don’t go to the interview without first having a salary range for the position you are being hired for.  You will be at a huge disadvantage if you don’t do some homework first. There [...]

Right On! I Got A Job Interview, Now What?

Here are 10 tips to help your next interview be your last for a while
Do your homework.Research the company beforehand so that you can showcase that knowledge during the interview. The internet is a great resource, you can google the company, check business journals for company information, like ranking, sales, mission statement. This will give [...]

Does The Wage Gap Still Exist?

This is what infoplease.com says
“The Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. At the time of the EPA’s passage, women earned just 58 cents for every dollar earned by men. By 2006, [...]

What Are The Benefits Of Having My Resume Written Professionally?

A professionally written resume will dramatically increase your response rate — and substantially shorten your job search time. Landing a job is 70% presentation and 30% actual skills and abilities. In fact, the candidate who gets the job is not always the most qualified; rather, the candidate with the best presentation is who gets hired.
Busy [...]

I Need To Take Time Off From Work, What Is The Family Medical Leave Act?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides an entitlement of up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period to eligible, covered employees for the following reasons: 1) birth and care of the eligible employee’s child, or placement for adoption or foster care of a child with the employee; 2) care [...]

I Have Employment Gaps In My Resume!

Employers look for gaps for several reasons. They are looking for potential problems, like substance abuse, reoccuring illness, incarceration, and instability. Employers are looking to see if you are hiding something. Life happens and if you have gaps in your employment history, there are ways to minimize the gaps, and in some case work to [...]

First Impressions, Making It Work For You!

Never underestimate a first impression, those first few seconds are critical. As an Employment Specialist, I have seen and heard it first hand. I think it breaks down into your appearance, handshake and smile. The experts say dress for the job, if you are a carpenter, then dress like one. I disagree.
I was working with an older, [...]

I Have A Criminal Record, What do I do?

The reality is more and more employers are doing background checks, even for entry-level positions. Why?
Studies show that 30-40% of all job applicants put false information on their resumes or applications.
Lawsuits for “negligent hiring” are on the rise.  Criminal actions by employee are making companies vulnerable to lawsuits.
Child abuse and abductions have resulted in new [...]